WILKES-BARRE (PA)
Times Leader
November 12, 2018
We found it welcome news when it was recently revealed that most of the Roman Catholic dioceses in Pennsylvania — including Scranton — are now setting up victim compensation funds.
Those who suffered heinous crimes at the hands of priests deserve compensation for the trauma that not only destroyed the innocence of childhood but will be with them for the rest of their lives.
But we remain somewhat concerned the Catholic hierarchy is still intent on making a last-ditch effort to protect its own, a habit well-documented in this summer’s shocking grand jury report.
Some have suggested the funds could just be another device employed by church leaders to make problems go away without having to go through the pain of full transparency.
“The biggest drawback in a fund like this is that it does not force the institution to come clean with all the information that it has regarding the abuse,” lawyer Ben Andreozzi, who represents dozens of Pennsylvanians who claim abuse by priests, told the Associated Press.
It’s obvious what’s going on here.
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